New Fairfield man helms U.N. makeover

Linda Tuccio-Koonz

Published 12:54 pm, Thursday, May 15, 2014

Ken Champion, of New Fairfield, has been overseeing a $2.1 billion renovation of the United Nations in Manhattan, N.Y. His teams have been involved in everything from redesigning workspaces and updating security systems to preserving priceless artworks. He's seen here in front of the Secretariat, the U.N. headquartersí landmark building, which took nearly five years to restore. Now modern and eco-friendly, the 39-story glass façade and building houses the offices of U.N. staff and delegates.

Photo: Contributed Photo

Ken Champion, of New Fairfield, has been overseeing a $2.1 billion...

Gutted to its concrete walls, the United Nations Security Council Chamber is looking good these days. It underwent a massive overhaul as part of the $2.1 billion renovation of the United Nations. Ken Champion, of New Fairfield, has overseen the U.N. project since its start, six years ago. Though the Council Chamber now looks as it did in 1952, what you can't see is that asbestos has been removed, and systems involving electronics, ventilation, and security have been replaced and upgraded. Only the CouncilâÄôs horseshoe-shaped table and the Norwegian designed mural and its marble framework are original.
Photo: Contributed Photo

Ken Champion climbed the rope ladder of his childhood tree house to some of the best views in Manhattan -- managing construction and renovation projects from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, to the United Nations.

The six-block site that's home to the U.N. is where Champion, of New Fairfield, is in charge of a $2.1 billion renovation. Started six years ago, it will be finished in December.

"The U.N. is like a battleship that sits on 17 acres," said Champion, a married father of two. "It hasn't had a major overhaul since it was built 60 years ago, yet it draws a million visitors a year. I can't tell you how many times people have told me they first came here on a school trip."

Like Lady Liberty, the U.N. is one of the most recognized landmarks in the world. Not only is it historic, but it contains some of the world's greatest art treasures, many of which were gifts from other countries.

"It's one of the largest art collections of its type in the world," said Champion, 56. "My favorite work was a gift from the Soviets called `Good Defeats Evil' -- it's St. George on a horse slaying a dragon. The dragon is made of parts of U.S. and Russian missiles.

"The intention was for the U.N. to be recognized around the globe as a place where everyone works out their differences. You like to think there are basically good people in the world. Despite all the horrific things you hear every day, there is still a lot of hope."

Champion's job is like that of an orchestra leader. He directs an ensemble of people such as architects, security experts and construction managers who oversee up to 700 subcontractors and 900 construction workers. Their task: to preserve and modernize this important cultural jewel.

By fall, he and his teams will have put in 7.5 million hours. It's a massive undertaking -- everything from updating security systems to fixing leaks in the iconic glass wall (or glass curtain as it's called) on the exterior of the Secretariat, a skyscraper that's one of the U.N.'s four main buildings.

There's little things too, like redesigning office areas and adding more spots for flagpoles. There are already 193 flags flying outside the U.N. in alphabetical order, but as new nations join, more will be added. On the bright side, 98 percent of the materials that were demolished -- concrete, steel, glass -- have been recycled, and no serious injuries have occurred on the job. On the not-so-bright side, many U.N. employees have found the constant construction to be noisy and disruptive.

But not everyone is upset. Champion said one U.N. employee came up to him on the street one morning and said, "On behalf of my colleagues who are complaining about the noise and inconvenience, I just want to thank you for what you're doing."

"I got years of satisfaction out of that," he said. "It only takes one to keep you going."

Champion first became interested in construction as a kid growing up in Clinton. That's where he built a three-story treehouse between three maple trees behind his family's home.

All these years later, he still remembers that old treehouse that started it all. "It was about eight or nine feet above the ground," he said, noting the rope ladder had a series of knots, making it easier to climb up. "My friends and I slept out in it a few times; it beat the heck out of video games. Things were different then," Champion said.